Outbound tourist numbers continue to rise

The number of mainland tourists traveling overseas continued to rise in the first three quarters of this year, according to a report released on Monday by the China Tourism Academy, affiliated with the China National Tourism Administration.

The academy estimated that in the first three quarters, 72.55 million overseas trips were made by Chinese mainland tourists, a surge of 18 percent from the same period last year.

The total spending of outbound tourists was estimated at $94.6 billion in the first three quarters, a rise of 23.1 percent from the same period last year.

The report estimated that in 2013, outbound tourists will make 98 million trips in total, a rise of 18 percent from 2012, while their spending will reach $120 billion, a 20-percent rise from the previous year.

Because of rising outbound tourist numbers and a declining inbound tourism market, the Chinese mainland will witness a $73 billion trade deficit in the tourism service trade sector, the report said.